Hong Kong Sets 2026 Deadline for Crypto Licensing Bill

Hong Kong plans to submit an amendment bill by the end of 2026 to create licensing rules for four types of digital asset services: trading, custody, advisory and portfolio management.

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui outlined the plan at a policy briefing on Monday, according to a Hong Kong government statement. The bill would establish rules for digital asset activities in response to developments in financial technology.

The proposed rules would apply to firms that operate digital asset trading platforms, provide custody services, advise clients on digital assets or manage digital asset portfolios. The government has not given a specific submission date.

Hui announced in January that regulators planned to submit a draft proposal on crypto asset regulation before the end of 2026. He also disclosed that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority had begun processing license applications for stablecoin issuers.

In April, the monetary authority granted its first stablecoin issuer licenses to Anchorpoint Financial and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.